Device for regulating the speed of trains.



A. F. JACOBSONi DEVICE FOR mzsummn THE SPEED OF TRAINS.

APPLICATION FIL'ED NOV. 8, 1913.

1,249,761. Pdtented' Dec. '11, 1917.

WITNESSES A TTORNEV rTENT 013 :EICE.

. i... ummumwwummml -MW ALLAN 1E. JACUIBSUN, OF NEW HOE/1E1, N. Y.

Application filed November 8, 1913.

To aZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that l, ALLAN l daoonson, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the borough of Richmond, city and State oi New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Devices for Regulating the Speed of llrains.

The device, the subject oi this invention is intended to automatically control the running speed of a moving train under all conditions, controlling it entirely independently oi. any action upon the part of the engineer or any other individual. My device is so constructed that it will operate in conjimction with the ordinary electrically controlled semaphores or other signal devices or as an auxiliary therefor.

The device utilizes a source of energy entirely independent of the ordinary track circuit and so that my device may be ready for operation at all times it provide a generator carried upon a locomotive or car driven by means of a turbine or other device that l prefer shall be arranged for the exclusive purpose of gei'ierating current for my apparatus.

The principal objects that I seek to accomplish are the automatic operation of the steam, or air levers or both, the selective 5 operation of the steam and air valves so as to obtain sueed control and the interlocking of the device against operation at such times, when the operation would be unadvisable or even dangerous. Further it is my intention to so construct my device that it will operate in unison with certain fixed signals that may be arranged in a convenient place over or at the side oi. the track and to pro vide an auxiliary braking or retarding means that will be energized only at such times as will be determined by the condition or the signals.

'lhe following is what ll consider the best means of carrying out this invention.

The accompanying drawings form a part oi? this specification, in whicl1:-

lligure 1 shows in. diagram the arrange ment oft my device, this diagram includes the train mechanisms and the signal mechanisms.

Fig.2 is a side elevation of one oi the circuit breakers.

tiimilar reference numerals indicate like parts in all the figures where they appear.

in my device ll utilize an ordinary train pipe 1, which may be supplied with an ordispecification of Letters Patent.

PatentedDec. 11, 191'7.

Serial H0. 799,835.

nary throttle 2. lln the pipe 1, I arrange a secondary throttle 3, between the source of steam supply and the throttle l, and I onerate this secondary or auxiliary throttle by means of a lever l.

llllounted upon the locomotive and driven by any convenient means is a generator ltis my intention that this generator should operate continuously even when the locomotive is standing at a station or in a yard, and as I depend upon this generator for my source of current supply ll prefer that it should be of particularly high etliciency.

Between the generator 5, and the throttle 3 I arrange a high voltage circuit breaker 6, d a low voltage circuit breaker 7, each operable in conjunction with solenoids as indicated at 8 and 9 respectively. Arranged p n the road bed are the ordinary rails l0 and 11, and an auxiliary rail 12 provided with a contact wheel 13 which will bear fairly thereon at all times. At l t 1 have shown a signal device provided with three lights or bulls--eyes, one of which is red, another green, and the third White.

Thus far l have described the mechanisms without indicating their method out operation, the operation I will now set forth again including the mechanisms and the way in which they are used.

The generator 5 is caused to rotate and supply current which passes through the circuit breaker 6 and 7 energizing the coils oil? the solenoids 8 and 9 thus lifting the w plungers 18 and 19 and opening the valve 3. I intend that my track shall be sub-divided into sections as is customary with electric signal controls and when the section is clear in which the locomotive or train breakers into the positions indicated by the dotted lines C and F this will in turn open the circuits through both of the solenolds 8 and 9 allowing their respective plungers 18 and 19 to drop fully closing the valve Vl hen howev J atrain is in the second block ahead of my device the track battery will operate the solenoids 20 and illuminate the green bulls-eye or target 21. This will interpose the resistance 22 into my train circuit and will throw an overload on the circuit breaker 7 operating that circuit breaker to the portion indicated by the dotted line C and cutting out the solenoid 9, the plunger 19 will then drop carrying with it the valve operating lever 4 which will partially shut off the steam from the locomotive by closing the valve 3 to a. greater or less extent. It is my intention that the circuit breaker 7 will be of the balanced type so that should the forward train clear the green light 21, the circuit breaker will automatically reestablish the circuit through the solenoid 9 thus reopening the valve to its full extent.

The overload on the circuit breaker (3 will be occasioned by a dead short circuit through the track which will operate the red bullseye 23, and the solenoid 24:, closing the circuit and shorting it through the solenoid operated switch 25. When however the for ward train or short circuiting device is moved forward into the next block the red light or bulls-eye becomes dead and the green is energized at which time the engineer may manually operate the circuit breaker 6 energizing the solenoid S and admitting a small quantity of steam to his cylinders and he may proceed at a predetermined speed, until such time as the green light shall clear to white when the circuit breaker 7 will reset itself and the valve 3 will be fully open by means of the solenoid 9.

Thus far I have described the construction of my device and the operation thereof, but so that the electrical connections may be more fully understood I will trace the path of the current in the several operations of the device and in following the current through its various connections, I will refer to the electrical conductors by the letters that indicate them.

The normal operative condition of my device may be considered that condition of all of the parts which exists when a train is running ahead and through an unoccupied section. This is the condition when the white signal is set and the sections that would normally control the train are clear. At this time the path of the current will be from one side of the generator 5, through the conductors G. H. through the solenoid coil 8, through the conductors I, K, to the center pole ofthe circuit breaker 6, across the center terminals to the right hand pole of this circuit breaker, through the coil of the circuit breaker to the other side of the generator 5. To the conductor H, I connect the coil of the circuit breaker 7. The current passes through the right hand side of this circuit breaker, through the connection between the center terminals, through the conductor L, through the solenoid coil 9,

through the conductor M, to the left hand side of the circuit breaker G from thence to the center terminals to the right hand side of the circuit breaker O and to the generator 5. In this condition a more or less complete short circuiting at O and J will immediately operate the circuit breaker 7 throwing the blades thereof into the position indicated by the dotted line for this is the green indication, and when in this condition the path of the current is from the generator through G and H solenoid 8 return to K, through the center and right hand side of the circuit breaker (3 to the generator. The parallel path lhrough the conductors J. O, to N, through the coil of the circuit br-iaker 7 lo ll. The circuit through the solenoid 9 is now interrupted.

Another important development of my invention is in the arrangement which allows an assisting or pushing engine to eul out its automatically operating devices and thus be not subject to the control of the forward en gine. This I accomplish by means of a hand operated switch 28, the opening oi which will disconnect the locomotive from the circuit completed through the rail.

So that my device will not be tampered with or intentionally maladjusted l intend that the solenoids 8 and 9, the valve lever t. the plungers 1S and 19, the switch 28 and the circuit breaker 7 will be inclosed in sufiiciently strong housing as indicated at 29 and 30.

More or less important nuuliliczdions may be made in my invention and in the arrangement and construction of the. parts thereof, but I prefer the whole as shown and de scribed.

Having carefully and fully described nrv invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A device for controlling the speed of trains which consists of a plurality of circuit breakers operable by current of different strength, a plurality of solenoids controlled respectively by said circuit breakers, and a valve controlled therethrough and moved to difierent positions according as one or both of the circuit breakers is operated.

2. A device controlling the speed of trains which consists of a track ubdivided into independent sections, signals connected therewith, circuit breakers contained in a circuit established by said signals and under the continuous control of said track sections, and solenoids controlled by said circuit breakers and a valve operated through a part of its movement through the operation of one said circuit breakersaml through its complete movement by the operation of the other circuit breaker, for the purpose set forth. I

3. A device for controlling the speed of trains comprising a source of electrical supply, a plurality of circuit breakers, a solenoid com'iected to each said circuit breaker, a track in independent sections and having an intermediate rail, electrical circuits from said circuit breakers to said track and in parallel with said solenoid circuits and a signal and means operated thereby for controlling the current flow through said track circuit.

l. A device of the character described, ernnprising a track in independent sections, circuit breakers adapted to be electrically connected thereto, solenoids in circuit with said circuit breakers and in parallel with said track and ignals and means connected therewith and with said track for operat ing one or both said solenoids for the pur pose set forth.

A device of the character described comprising a steam valve, a solenoid for partially closing said valve, a second solenoid for fully closing said valve, a generator for energizing said solenoids, and a plural ity of circuits between said generator and said solenoids in combination with a track subdivided into sections, a third rail between the rails of said track, a signal @011- nccted to each said section and to said third rail, an electrical circuit from said circuit breakers to said track and said third rail and parallel with said solenoids and means controlled by said signal for closing a circuit through said track and said third rail to operate one said circuit breaker and solenoid or both said circuit breakers and solenoids.

(i. A device of the character described comprising a team valve, a plurality of electromagnets having movable plungers secured to the movable part of said valve, a source of electrical energy for said electrolnagnets, a plurality ofcircuit breakers between said source and said electromagnets, one said circuit breaker being adapted to operate one said electromagnet and partially close said valve upon a small increase (If current passing therethrough, the other said circuit breaker being adapted to operate the other said clectron'iagnet and completely close said valve, when a greater quantity of current passes thcretlu'ough as herein set forth.

7. A device oi the character described comprising a steam valve, a plurality of clcctroinaguets having movable pluugers for operating said valve, a source of electrical energy for said electromagnets, a plurality of circuit breakers between said electrical source and said clectromagnets, a circuit parallel to the circuits oil said electronulgnets and by means of which the current flow may be increased through said circuit breakers, one said circuit breaker operating one said electron'iagnet to partially close said valve upon a small increase oi current passing through said circuit breaker, the other said circuit breaker being adapted to operate the other said electromagnet and completely close aid valve when a greater quantity of current passes through said circuit breaker as herein specified.

Signed at New York city, in the county and State of New York, this 241th day of Oct, 1913, in the presence of two witnesses.

ALLAN F. JACOBSON.

l Vitnesses G. ll. S'rnnnrr'rn, ARTHUR PrrnLrs Mann.

hunters at this patent may be attained for five cents each, by addressing the Qommlssicner of Patents, Washington, 1!. Kl. 

